Phinks' Name
by Ria D'Arcy
Summary: How did "Phinks" get his name in the first place? Well, he got it in Meteor City when he was young... *Minimal swearing*


**The History of Phinks' name, as told by Ria.**

* * *

><p>The whole of the original Genei Ryodan members (minus Kuroro, Pakunoda, and Uvogin) were sitting around in what had come to be known as their original hide out, back in Metero City.<p>

Machi.

Feitan.

Nobunaga.

Shalnark.

Franklin.

Phinks.

These six were all that remained of the original nine. Their leader, Kuroro, was lost for the moment, the Spider's head was missing but the rest of the Spider lived on.

Sitting on the window seat looking out over the landscape that was filled with trash, Machi had her arms crossed and her left knee bent up. Her expressionless face was blocked from view because her pink hair was down for once. However, the other members knew when to leave the kunoichi to herself.

Sitting in a circle amongst themselves on the ground were Franklin, Nobunaga, and Shalnark. They were heavily involved in a game of Doubt, which Shal was currently once again losing.

"I play one seven." Shalnark announced with an innocent smile upon his lips, holding the numerous remaining cards he had with both hands, contradictory to the small number in which Franklin and Nobunaga possessed.

"Doubt." Fanklin said with certainty, flipping over the topmost card to reveal Shalnark's deceit; a three of clubs.

"Jeez…" Shalnark collected the pile as Nobunaga continued the count with a single eight.

The last man in the room was a short one who was covered in a long black trench coat and a bandana covered his mouth with a white skull print upon the front. His only distinguish feature was the green-blue hair which brushed over the high collar of the coat to rest just above the man's shoulders. He was off in the shadows, silently watching his companions, noting the one missing member of their gang.

Phinks.

Turning his head, Feitan noticed the nearly imperceptible movement of the makeshift door closing. There had been no sound as the tall blonde with no eyebrows left, leaving Feitan puzzled.

"_Why Phinks leave?"_ The accomplished torturer asked himself, though he had little interest in following the man to find out. _"He come back when he wants."_ Was all Feitan thought, his eyes drawn back to the card game as Shalnark was once more called out on doubt.

* * *

><p>Forcing his hands into the pockets of his track suit, Phinks was absently walking through Metero City. This place was probably what some would call "home" but Phinks had never felt that way. To him, this had simply been "Metero City" where the residents don't exist. Forgotten by all, except for when the Mafia needed disposable killers.<p>

That was their worth.

Phinks watched as a trio of young children, two boys and a girl, run atop mountains of trash. They were laughing and smiling, making a game out of something. Although they were barely dressed in anything, and their feet were no doubt as rough and tough as bricks, they were having fun.

If you hadn't lived in this place you would have never noticed a difference, but ever so slowly things were getting better. Not much, but some. The children in Meteor City were actually able to remain children for a little bit longer. And it had all been thanks to Danchou and the Genei Ryodan. They were known as a notorious gang of murders and thieves, but behind the scenes they were actually trying to help the people of Meteor City, mainly the children. For all nine of the original members had come from this forgotten land.

Abandoned.

Forgotten.

Thrown away.

Nameless.

Phinks remembered that the most. He remembered growing up, not knowing who he was. It had not been until he had met Kuroro, the leader of the Genei Ryodan, that he had discovered his name.

* * *

><p>Running through the trash, jumping over piles too unstable and leaping from others just barely able to hold his weight, a young boy with messy and dirt coated blonde hair ran. He was far too thin to be healthy, no one in Meteor City was healthy, but he was fast. Clutched to his chest was maybe one of his greatest finds ever.<p>

Not food, but a blanket. An actual blanket!

It wasn't in perfect condition, or any condition really, but it was big enough to cover both him and his friend.

Scrambling so fast, the boy didn't have time to react as out of nowhere someone struck the back of his head.

_Dammit!_ The young boy cursed, his face scrapping against something sharp. He felt the blanket yanked from his fingertips, and it wasn't even a second later that he was on his feet and chasing his assailant, a just as dirty child that didn't seem to be much younger than him.

However, darkness settled over Metero City long before the blonde could reclaim his prize, losing the other boy just after sunset.

"Dammit!" He cursed aloud, kicking at something scurrying just in front of his feet. Hearing the startled squeak as it was suddenly propelled through the air, he knew he had just kicked a rat. Stupid fucking rat deserved it.

Irritated that his prize was forever gone, he waited until his eyes fully adjusted to the total darkness and ran as fast as he dared back to where he and his friend were currently residing. The two had a tendency to move around every few days, like a lot of residents here. It wasn't safe to become too comfortable in a single place - that made you a target. And already being younger and weaker than most people, the two boys decided it best to stick together and move as often as possible. Every day they scoured for a better place to spend the night.

With a scowl, the blonde haired boy forced open the board they had propped against the opening of their little hole and ducked inside. The green-blue haired boy had used one of their few matches to light the stub of candle the two had stumbled upon recently. The light was faint, enclosed with a few pieces of trash so there was no possibility of it leaking through the cracks in the wood to be discovered.

The blonde was just about to bark out why he though it necessary to light the precious thing when he stopped short. There were _two_ dark haired kids instead of the usual one.

Instantly on guard, he kept his back to the entrance and openly glared at the unknown boy, who was probably around his friend's age.

"Who is he?" The blonde barked out, directing his question to his friend while his eyes never left the threat.

"Kuroro." The unknown boy responded with an easy smile. "Your friend helped me out earlier, so I thought I would repay him."

"He bring food. Good food." The blonde's friend held out a small chunk of what looked to be black bread. Where had he gotten that? He stepped forward before he could stop himself, and he felt his stomach rumble in response to seeing actual food. However, he was not going to be lured in so easily.

"It's not poisoned, that would be a waste of food." 'Kuroro' spoke with a restrained smirk, bringing the blonde's defences higher.

"Why should I trust you?"

"Because I saved your friend's life and in the time I've been here haven't even once tried to kill him."

"He right. Food unpoisoned. Eat." The smaller boy was sitting huddled close to the candle, eyes longingly looking into the flame. If only he had been able to keep that blanket…

Keeping a steady gaze on Kuroro the entire way, the blonde slowly made his way to where the two sat. His crossed his legs and leaned his back to the trash which made up a wall. Kuroro held out the piece of black bread again, watching as this time the blonde accepted. He tried to hide his smile as the boy sniffed the bread before nibbling a little portion, still highly doubtful that Kuroro was here with no alternative motive.

Too bad the blonde was right, Kuroro did have an objective.

Comrades.

But to make comrades in this place, trust was needed to be earned and to earn one's trust out here was nearly impossible. _Nearly._

* * *

><p>"Kuroro." The blonde greeted upon seeing the black haired boy once more in their temporary shelter. The season had turned cold and no matter where he and his friend went, this Kuroro kid always seemed to find them. At first it hadn't seem like much of a nuisance, Kuroro would show up and offer the two food (which the blonde was still suspicious of but his friend kept reassuring him that it wasn't poisoned).<p>

"Hello." Kuroro answered with a smile, a partially destroyed book held almost devoutly in his hands. Now this peaked the blonde's interest.

"You can read?" He asked as he took a seat with his back to the wall and straight across from the still mistrusted boy.

"No," Kuroro said with a wistful smile, looking down to the pages, "not really. But if I study I think I could. One day. However, this one has pictures and I can make out a few words. Want to see?"

Holding out the book, Kuroro looked the blonde straight in the eye and almost dared him to take it. And though they had grown up in a place like Metero City, little boys were still alike in the way that they would never back down from a challenge.

So the blonde snatched the book and looked down to see a picture of some weird triangles and something that had a face. Making his own face the blonde looked up at Kuroro.

"What kind of weird book is this?"

"It's about various places all over the world. I think that section is on a place called 'Egypt.'"

"E-git?" The blonde repeated.

"E-gy-_pt_." Kuroro repeated slowly, stressing the _p_. "It's a faraway place."

"Why would you want to look at pictures of a place like that?"

"Because I like to learn, and I hope to go there someday."

The blonde snorted.

"You think you can leave a hole like this?"

"I do." Kuroro nodded. "One day I will leave."

"Ha, it's a fairy tale. No body leaves Meteor City unless you go work for the Mafia and become their replaceable hit man."

"I think there are other ways to leave."

"Whatever." The blonde shook his head and nearly threw the book into the other boy's face. He guessed 'Kuroro' just hadn't learned that dreams were for people who lived outside of this forgotten place, the people who existed inside of a civil society.

"Hey." Kuroro said a few hours later, as the blonde refused to say anything more. "Do you have a name?"

Looking up from the pages Kuroro stared at the younger boy whose eyes were lightly closed. He didn't respond.

"Why haven't you given yourself a name?"

Still no answer. Kuroro waited.

As the sun shifted lower in the sky Kuroro decided to speak up again.

"You could always pick a name. It can be anything you want." Kuroro pointed to himself, "I picked my name and it wasn't that hard, so why don't you give it a try?"

"Why do I need a name?" The blonde cracked open his eyes, giving Kuroro a glare.

"Well, how am I supposed to address you? Or should I call you No-eyebrows?" A smile played on Kuroro's lips.

"_What's that supposed to mean?!_" The blonde bolted upright, fully awake and ticked off at the black haired boy across from him.

"Haven't you realised you don't have eyebrows?" Kuroro innocently asked, "I thought someone might have told you…"

"You can't go around called people 'No-eyebrows'!"

"Why not? It suits you doesn't it?"

"No it doesn't!"

"Then why don't you pick a name and I will call you by that instead, No-brows." Kuroro was having a hard time not laughing at the outraged expression the blonde was wearing. It really was a thing which one could call 'priceless'.

Growling under his breath, the blonde tried to think of something to call himself but his mind was going blank. All he could think of was that weird human-faced thing in Kuroro's book about 'Egypt'.

"You're so smart why don't _you_ come up with something then?"

"Hmm… Then what about… _Phinks_?" Kuroro suggested as the blonde blinked.

"What's a 'Phinks'?"

Kuroro pointed at a spot on the open pages on his book.

"I think it's what they call this half-man/half-lion statue. It's supposed to be yellow, like you're hair."

Phinks shrugged.

"Okay then, I'm called Phinks."

"It's a pleasure to meet you Phinks." Kuroro said with a full smile as he held out his hand, which Phinks shook.

Now that the boy's trust was gained, Kuroro had yet another comrade.

It had been easier than he had thought.

* * *

><p>"Phinks."<p>

Phinks looked up to see that he had absentmindedly come back to the Ryodan's hideout. It was sunset and Feitan had greeted the man upon his re-entrance.

Machi was still sitting in her window seat, her chin titled against her chest now, and the game of Doubt between the other three members seems to have long since ended. Feitan was still leaning against his own spot in the place, and Phinks walked over to sit with his back against the wall beside his oldest friend.

Nothing more was said as full night settled over Metero City.

The place where people were abandoned. Forgotten. Thrown away.

But… they weren't all nameless.

At least not anymore.

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><p><em>AN: This is a product of sleep depravity, boredom, and my friend Razor giving me a prompt. This took a total of 90 minutes to write and it has not been reread so I hope you forgive my mistakes. She also gave me a Feitan prompt which I will now try to write. *waves*_


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